2.1 Game modes. About the game. Campaign

Transcription

1

2 About the game In Railway Empire, you take on the role of a railroad pioneer and transport operator. Your objective is to develop your company in the era and region of your choice into the biggest and most important railroad empire. Each game is set in one of seven regions of the USA and in one of five eras. Each era covers 20 years and determines the technological progress you have at your disposal, above all the available locomotives. The research points you receive over the course of the game can be invested in the selected era's research tree. Some areas of earlier eras can also be researched, but the majority have already been researched. Areas of later eras are always off limits. Each game is usually over at the end of an era so in 20 years' time. However, you can then choose to stay in the game, but you will not receive any more research points as Railway Empire focuses on the exciting construction phase of a railroad company. While you are primarily dealing with the construction of stations and the laying of tracks at the start of a game, you can later also purchase factories, farms, or mines. The capital you earn in this way can then be invested in the purchase of stocks and shares in order to either buy up a rival company or protect yourself against a merger with a competitor. Speaking of competitors: just like you, each of them wants to build the biggest and best rail network. So you need to be on guard, otherwise they will snap the most lucrative routes right from under your nose. But it isn't enough just to lay tracks and construct stations. When building each route, you need to keep an eye on the costs and benefits. The direct route is often not the cheapest, as tunnels and bridges are expensive. On the other hand, routes become longer and/or steeper if you wish to avoid additional construction work. And the right choice of locomotive is also decisive. Passengers shouldn't be transported using a slow freight locomotive, and an express locomotive can't pull freight containers up steep mountains. Finally, you can also deploy special staff on each train in order to optimize it, or couple up special railcars to obtain benefits from certain transports. 2.1 Game modes After starting the game, you will find yourself in the main menu of Railway Empire. Here you can choose between four different game modes. Campaign The campaign tells the story of the difficult construction of the Transcontinental Railroad in the USA, which was completed in May As the star of the story, it is your job to push on with the constructions of the route against all adversities and financial hardships. In each of the five chapters, you will be supported by a different famous personality of that time, so the campaign is a very good place to get started in the railroad business. Scenarios Getting started Each scenario is set during a specific time, in a specific region of the USA, and has a specific theme. As each scenario should provide a certain challenge, you cannot change most of the parameters. During a scenario, you will receive certain objectives, some of which 2 3

3 you will need to fulfill in order to complete the scenario. The faster you complete your tasks, the higher your rank will be at the end. Free mode In this game mode, you can freely select the region, year, and all other parameters such as initial capital and the number of rival railroad companies. A random list of tasks will be compiled for each game. The more of them you complete in time, the higher your rank will be at the end. Sandbox mode In this mode, you can play entirely without opponents or financial pressure. All locomotives from the chosen era are available to you from the very beginning, and you have unlimited funds. 2.2 Difficulty level Don't bite off more than you can chew for your first game. Your opponents never sleep and they will give you plenty of drive. Additionally, the construction of routes gets increasingly complex as the game progresses. While some parameters cannot be changed in the campaign and scenarios, the game can be adjusted in free mode completely to your wishes. The most important settings are: Competitors Choose how many AI opponents you want to compete against. If you set the number of opponents to 0, you'll never have to worry about anyone snapping up a lucrative route from under your nose. AI level Set the strength of the artificial intelligence here. Above all, this affects how quickly your opponents plan new routes. Your opponents do not receive any penalties or bonuses on revenues or running costs, but they only ever use the basic rail network. Since this saves on costs, the AI has to pay a markup on the construction of routes at normal or high levels. Rail network This setting has very wide-reaching consequences for the games: if you choose "easy", all your trains can pass through each other without ever triggering a conflict. However, if you choose "complex", each track section can only ever be traveled on by one train. Your trains will be forced to wait for each other, and you will not be able to get around setting up switches, sidings, and signals to avoid conflicts. Regions The choice of region also has an impact on the difficulty level. Mountainous regions or those with many rivers and canyons make the construction of routes more expensive and slow down your expansion. 2.3 First steps The campaign is suited best for starters as it walks you through the basics of the game. Little speech bubbles will be shown offering help and video clips throughout the game. These hints will appear as you go on and are dependent on the current game situation. 4 5

4 If it is not your first time playing Railway Empire, you can deactivate these tips at any time in the game options. These can be accessed via the main menu or during the game. 2.4 Game tips The game has an extensive range of instructions, information, and tips on how to play. The game tips windows can be accessed via the game menu. Controls The following objects can be selected on the 3D map in the game: Your own train: Selects the train and allows you to make changes to the train or railroad line. Farm: Selects the business and allows you to sell the business, for example. Factory in a city: Opens the start dialog and selects the factory within it. Select signal: Activates Signal mode in which signals can be edited. Left mouse button Select object Right mouse button Cancel selection / Close dialog R/F or Rotate scroll wheel Zoom camera Technical support and customer service If you have any questions or problems with one of our products, we offer you answers and solutions to the frequently asked questions at our forums: forum.kalypsomedia.com You may also reach our technical support team via at support@kalypsomedia.com or phone: Tel: +49 (0) (Mo - Fr 10am GMT - 4pm GMT) Fax: +49 (0) International rates may apply! Before contacting us, please make sure you know the complete product name and can provide proof of purchase. Please be as precise as possible when describing technical errors and include error messages and any other helpful information if possible. Please understand that we are not able to answer questions regarding general gameplay and hints via or phone. Hold scroll wheel and move Only at high zoom level: mouse up/down Tilt camera 6 Q/E or hold scroll wheel and move mouse left/right Rotate camera Q/E or Shift + scroll wheel Construction Mode: Rotate building ESC Open game menu 7

5